Tag Archives: followers

For today’s Media Monday post, I’d like to discuss a few things that I see from time to time on social media that are gag worthy in a number of ways. Often my generation is called the “Social Media Generation”, because we live our lives not only offline, but online as well, which sometimes also leads to pretty rough consequences. As a 21 year old with quite the brain full of experience with digital media, I’d like to outline to my readers and non-readers alike the things I have seen online through social media networks that need to end…like….yesterday.

1. Following others on social media to gain their following, and then unfollowing them to reduce the number of people you’re following while maintaining their….followership? I know that was confusing, but bear with me. Here’s an example. The other day, a brand that I really like (not gonna throw them under the bus here, so I’ll leave it at that!) decided that I was worth a follow on Instagram. Me being as excited as I was about their mutual appreciation (and my realization that they had an Instagram, which I hadn’t known prior or I would’ve followed them already!), I clicked the follow button. Big mistake. As soon as I did, they unfollowed. *Sigh* AND THEN MY LIFE WAS OVER. No, but I was annoyed. Why follow me to get me to follow you, only to unfollow me? This also happens in blog support groups (this phrase makes us sound like we’re all addicts. Which we are. Writing addicts.), which I’ve come to realize. Another blogger and I will decide to follow each other to support each other’s blog and writing endeavors LIKE ADULTS and then, like magic, my followers app says, “Hey, this blogger’s a sucker. You lost another one” and I continue to roll my eyes for all eternity. Let’s just not do this anymore. Don’t be shady online, kids. Oh and have a good unfollower app because some people don’t like to play nice with others.

2. Copying blog posts like a bad blogger-sport. Look here, mister (clearly I’m bringing out the big guns). I work hard for my posts. They don’t always come easy to me. They can be a jumbled mess sometimes. I’m not always inspired. I’ve got school work everywhere I turn and, that thought in itself, can destroy my motivation. But you know what? I persevere. I get it done.I plan, I outline, I motivate, I drink lots of coffee, and I put the work in writing. It doesn’t matter if you wrote my blog post letter by letter, word by word, or just copied my cleverly created title that I thought of in the midst of a sugar-induced burst of creativity. From the moment you do this, you’re dead to me. We all have our battles. The fuse to make that bomb-a** post on YOUR OWN BLOG in YOUR OWN VOICE is in your hands, not mine.

I punned so hard on that one. My apologies.

3. Spamming for support. When it’s a known fact that it’s annoying and ineffective. For all of us. And the worst part is I can’t even bring a pitchfork and riot in front of your house because ALL I KNOW IS THE STUPID WEBSITE YOU WON’T LEAVE ME ALONE ABOUT. And no, I refuse to check out what your spam is raving about. I’ll pitchfork riot from across the street. I’m not giving you the satisfaction of this annoyance.

Spammer: “Great post! Let me tell you about this new seo–”

Me: “No.”

Spammer: “seo tool tha–”

Me: “I SAID NO. Can you stop? Thanks.”

Spammer: “……seo tool that–”

Me: “THIS IS MY HOME. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. If my blog had blinds right now, and a front door, I’d be closing both RIGHT NOW. In your face. Hard.”

Don’t be THAT GUY, the blogger that only cares about their own content. Read blogs to engage in discussion, not to spread your butter all over everyone else’s bread. That sounds creepy, but you know what I mean. I hope.

4. Airing out our dirty laundry on social media. I think we’re all just a little bit guilty of this one, but it’s just horrible. We go on social media and point fingers at others (usually anonymously to most, the subject known to few) to an audience of hundreds, let them all know that we’re fuming on our side of the screen, maybe muster up some support and maybe even some fingers being pointed in our direction, but for what? Does it make us feel any better, to tell everyone at the same time that we are mad? Or hurt? Definitely not. If anything, it fuels the frustration. Why tell a bunch of strangers your list of grievances? There’s nothing they can tell you that can make your complaints go away, other than the typical “you alright?” response and the even less engaging, “feel better” reply. Get a diary, make a friend that doesn’t mind you scream-venting in their face, or take up paintball. Take all that weird, fiery energy and use it in a way that doesn’t make the whole internet groan.

5. Shaming others for their bodies in the safety of our homes and under the shield of online anonymity. If you’ve ever taken a moment to browse a sensation on any of these social media sites (celebrities, musicians, etc.), you’ll realize that at least a handful of the comments are directed towards their bodies. “You’re fat”, “you fat cow”, “eat a cheeseburger”, the list goes on. You’re not any cooler for putting someone else down, you know that right? We all know that the people who comment these things would never have that lack of a heart to say the hurtful things they say online to the subject in person. And if they do, well, that’s sick and disgusting and they need to be parented all over again, or maybe they need a parent that’s going to teach them the right way to treat people. Let’s make the internet more positive. If you don’t have something overwhelmingly heartfelt or positive or encouraging to say, zip your lips. Save your positive comment for someone else who you think deserves it. Having a bad attitude is never in style, not even in the digital world. The world would be a better place if people bothered to be….dare I say NICE to each other.

I hope you’re all having a wonderful Monday, and if you liked this post, share, comment, subscribe, and like! Remember, the humor is all in good fun, but I do mean what I say about the internet doing some spring cleaning. Some changes should definitely be made in the digital social-sphere.

What are some other things you believe people should stop doing on social media?

I am surrounded by people who only have short-term goals, who only know what they’re going to eat for dinner later on or what supplies they need to get for class this week, which isn’t necessary wrong per se, but what about the future? What about a couple months from now, half a year from now? I don’t want to have just short-term goals, and I don’t even think I can only have short-term goals at this point. I have quite a few projects in the works and they require a lot more planning than I’m actually used to. I would like to share with my lovely readers the achievements I hope to accomplish by the looming closure of the 2014th year (crazy to think we’re so close, right?). When I put the milestones I hope to accomplish in writing or print more like, I have found that I strive much harder to complete them by the deadline, and it inspires me knowing that the people who have been rooting for my success for so long are reading what I hope to make of myself and pushing me to continue to gain experience and grow as a creative individual. If you feel inspired by this idea, by all means, make your own list of 15 accomplishments (or however you feel necessary) and link me to it below! Making goals as a group actually proves to be the most successful method of prioritizing because there is a mutual pressure to perform amongst the participants. It’s like positive peer pressure!

4. Achieve at least 100 followers on Youtube. I worked on a Youtube channel for a while but got discouraged when I realized I wouldn’t have enough time to do it. But now, I’m more determined than ever to get back on the horse! When I start again, it will be a bunch of tutorials. Makeup tutorials, Outfit of the Day videos, Makeup of the Day videos, maybe some art tutorials, and whatever else my readers and viewers want to see.

5. Become masterful at Adobe Photoshop 3D. I am amazed by how much you can create in Photoshop and would love to be able to manipulate in 3d as well!

6. Get to 200 followers on Tumblr at the very least. I just created an affiliated Mandirito Tumblr which incorporates all of the things I find important or interesting. It’s more random stuff than anything.

7. Get my writing shared again on a notable website. For a while, I worked for Local Heroes Today (you can read my writing at localheroestoday.com), but I miss the thrill of getting published now that I don’t work there anymore. I would like to reach a more dynamic audience!

8. Sit down and actually learn how to use Reddit. I’ve always wanted to learn but alas, I have yet to get to it. So here’s to Reddit and all that it has to offer!

9. Attempt to get all of my grades to A’s. Currently I have A’s and then one C (Grrrr), but I’m working hard and I’m willing to put in some hours to get the work done right.

10. Try to drink more water. I hate the taste of water and have no desire to drink it, but I know it’s good for me. It’s incredibly conflicting. Why can’t coffee be the thing that’s good for me?

11. Get down to my goal weight. No, I’m not one of those people that wants to look half of my body weight but I do want to get down a few pounds for the sake of being healthy. I’m already cleaning up my diet tremendously, so I doubt this should be an issue by then.

12. Find a job/internship that I am passionate about. I have some potential positions lined up, but I’m waiting for confirmation before I determine anything. Fingers crossed!

13. Start maintaining a healthy sleep schedule. I feel like I never sleep.

14. Learn a chunk of a new language. I’m in the process of learning Spanish but I want to be able to know enough to conversationally speak it.

15. and last but certainly not least, learn how to efficiently expand my online presence!

Do you have a list of goals you would like to finish by the conclusion of this year?

I don’t know about you but as a busy college student living hours away from the people I have grown close with, I’m taken aback by receiving mail, even summaries from my bank, because receiving mail regularly has always escaped me. A day that I receive anything in that little mailbox of mine is a thrill ride. So when I received my nail jewels that I had ordered what feels like years ago (traveling from China takes longer than I could ever imagine for something so small!) and my Ipsy makeup bag package for October, I was at a loss for words. Pure, radiating joy! Not only was I feeling the love (from myself, as I was the one that had ordered these fabulous things, for myself obviously!), but there’s a feeling of satisfaction knowing that I’m going to have some new colors and products to show off in the coming week. I’ve gotten significantly more interested in exploring makeup, hair treatments, and nail art this year, so my Ipsy subscription allows me to explore my beauty tool options without having to shell out every last dollar in my wallet. It’s actually pretty affordable when you realize how much each product is when you buy them separately. It gives me the chance to essentially try new looks and products “guilt free”, and I have a subscription for a whole year paid off, so I have ten more months of pretty things just itching to get to my mailbox next!

This month, I received 5 products! Yes, 5! I love when they load up my bag like they did this month. My initial thought was to not get too excited because on Instagram, quite a few people were complaining about getting hair and skin products when they had explicitly requested not to. I am one of those people that generally sticks to my ways when it comes to lotions and cleansers, so I agree with not wanting to waste a sample on either one of these categories. When I opened to metallic pink shipping package, there was my beautiful new makeup bag. This makeup bag was much less “cheap looking” than the one from last month (I wasn’t impressed with the bag the products came in last month, but that didn’t hold me back from loving what I received regardless!), and had this really pretty texturized, quilted blue print. I love the color and I love the way the bag feels! I was immediately drawn to the whole look and feel of it.

When I opened the bag, like I said, I had 5 different products to check out. I received a Doll 10 Highlighter, a VolumEyes Mascara Sample, a City Color Be Matte Lipstick, a Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in Mango Mandarin, and a sample package of Skyn Glacial Cleansing Cloths. In order to give you a full idea of what I received this month, I will review each product individually.

Doll 10 Highlighter

I was extremely excited about this product. I’ve just recently taken up the art of face contouring and am continuing to research it and advance my skills (it’s definitely a process, especially for someone like me who, until recently, knew very little about how to use makeup to its fullest potential). When I opened this, however, I was a bit disheartened by the subtlety of it at first swab. When I brushed my finger across the surface, the pigment was practically invisible. When I contour, I like to be able to see how the makeup changes the look, especially when I highlight. If I’m going to highlight my cheek bones, I want there to be a difference when I apply the makeup or there’s no reason to apply it. When I applied it, although it took several strokes of the palette, it did end up having a pretty, dewey finish. The finished product wasn’t as monumentally great as I thought it would be, but I could see this product coming to good use at some point. It still has a good amount of usage potential. What I also noticed, too, which others may or may not mind, was that the highlighter wasn’t as creamy as I thought it would be. I usually use fairly creamy highlighters but this one is reminiscent of the texture of cream eyeshadow. It’s going to take some getting used to.

This product is a bit on the pricier side (it’s $30 on the website), but if you’d like to try it out for yourself, CLICK HERE.

VolumEyes Mascara Sample

I don’t have a fight to pick with this one. It does its job well. The volume of my eyelashes is much, much brighter and more defined than I thought it would be. I wish this product wasn’t a sample, but regardless, once I run out, I’ll be heading out to the store to give it another go. I’m not as picky about mascaras because as long as they don’t make my eyes feel like they’ve caught on fire every time the crumbs tumble into my eyes, I feel like they’re serving their purpose. That is, if they make me look like minnie mouse. Having a nice pair of thick eyelashes has been a long-time dream of mine, so I don’t protest to trying new products that will give me this effect. VolumEyes is a keeper!

Gosh, I wish I loved this lipstick more than I do. Lipstick is my thing. I love trying out new colors, bold shades that contrast with my clothes…A great lipstick can tie together any outfit perfectly. But this lipstick…This shade in particular has become really popular recently, as my sister had mentioned that Kylie Jenner had set off a coffee/nude lip craze. This color is just that. It’s very pretty in the tube, but I’m not sure of how I feel about it when it’s actually on my mouth. The problem is that, when I put my bronzer on, this lipstick makes me look like I legitimately have a nonexistent pucker. Like someone carved a hole where my mouth is supposed to be and left the lips unfinished. My lips are really thin as is…I’m trying to stay open to the idea of wearing a somewhat nude lip, and I will give this one another chance, but part of me wishes that they’d throw in a berry shade instead. Berry is more my scene, or actually red. Red would be exquisite.

Ah, I did not want skin products. At all. On a scale from one to ten on how much I desire to smother myself in new skin creams, 1 being a firm “no” and 10 being a “grabby-handed” yes, I’d be a -5. NEGATIVE. FIVE. I didn’t want skin cream!

Despite my initial disappointment, however, the bottle of this lotion caught my eye immediately. It’s really cute and colorful. I wanted to give it a shot anyway. The smell is airy and light, which I love, and I have to say that it will suffice. If I were guaranteed to get a hand cream, I wouldn’t mind getting this one. I just have too many lotions, scrubs, and creams at home to even bother buying more. Berry lipstick, I still want you in my life.

Recently I had come to the conclusion that I was tired of using a scrub and astringent nightly to manage my skin and remove the makeup aftermath of the day. It burns (because of the condition of my acne), it gets dry, and it’s uncomfortable for at least a few minutes afterwards. I was on the verge of going to Target that afternoon when I received this package. I think it might’ve actually been destiny when I received the Skyn Cloths. They remove 90% of the makeup on their own, which says a lot because when I do makeup, it tends to stick to my skin like cement. These cleansing cloths do a beautiful job of cleaning up my skin and leaving the skin feeling fresh and actually clean. Granted I do still wash my skin with water afterwards because I am paranoid, but this sample was very impressive. It was only a sample, too, but came with a total of 10 cloths, which is a great deal for a sample! Samples, if you’re lucky, have just enough to get the job done once, but I think I’m equipped for the rest of the week! It’ll actually give me enough time to buy some on my own, now that I know what I’m looking for.

I’ve decided to make a BLOG INSTAGRAM so I can connect with all my readers (EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU), so if you’d enjoy having my company on your dashboard (or want to be best friends), go ahead and click the follow button on:

mandiritotheblogger

In addition to that, you know the drill. I have a Facebook page for the blog as well, if you click the following link:

Stay beautiful, and thank you for your undying love and support. I’m so thankful that, one day, I decided to start a blog and really stick to it. I feel so encouraged by this project and I look forward to many years ahead of continuing joy and discovery in this journey as a writer. This is only the beginning.